Contact: Dr Chris Langley, ChrisL [at] sgr.org.uk

SGR believes that the military exerts far too much influence over science, engineering and technology in the UK and elsewhere. We believe there needs to be a major shift in both resources and emphasis away from military science and technology towards areas such as clean technology, research on non-violent conflict resolution, and science and technology for poverty alleviation. The concept of 'Security' also needs to be redefined to include many of the pressing issues that face the world today - issues which can be addressed by drawing upon the expertise that resides in science and technology.

SGR regularly gives lectures on this issue up and down the UK (see also our Forthcoming Events page), and has had various articles published. We have also produced two reports:
SITL Report    

More Soldiers in the laboratory: the militarisation of science and technology - an update, (Aug 2007), provides an update to Soldiers In The Laboratory (published in 2005). In addition to SGR's latest findings about the power and influence of the military in science, engineering and technology (SET) in the UK and elsewhere since the previous report was written, this briefing also highlights some of the problems encountered in obtaining detailed information on military involvement in R&D despite the entry into force of the Freedom of Information Act. The report also documents the huge imbalance between government R&D funding of the military and funding to tackle ill-health, environmental degradation and poverty, and argues that a major shift in resources towards supporting social justice and environmental protection and away from the military is needed.
SITL Report    

Soldiers in the laboratory: Military involvement in science and technology - and some alternatives, (Jan 2005), documents the power and influence of the military in science, engineering and technology (SET) in the UK over the past 15 years, and investigates whether some reallocation of the resources that the military currently devotes to weapons-related SET would contribute better to the goals of peace, social justice and environmental sustainability. You can download the Executive Summary (PDF, 140KB) or the Full Report (PDF, 559KB). The report was produced as part of the project "Understanding The Military Influence On Science And Technology" [1]

The Report has received much critical acclaim, including a review by John Avery for the Danish Peace Academy

Overview of the issues

Military technology has contributed centrally to the shaping of the world today. The economic and political dominance of the countries of the 'North' is in part the legacy of innovations in military technology in Europe and later in the USA. The power and range of military activities is driven in a variety of ways by the expertise of scientists, engineers and technologists many of whom are engaged in, or funded by, the military sector. A better understanding of this situation is one of the main purposes of SGR's work in this area. The Report Soldiers in the laboratory: Military involvement in science and technology - and some alternatives documents the power and influence of the military in the governance and direction of science, engineering and technology in the UK over the past twenty years.

In 2004 global military spending was over US$1 trillion. The UK and USA spent, in 2003, US$47.4 billion and US$455.3 billion respectively on the military. The two countries are the world's highest military spenders. Both countries are also globally the highest spenders on military R&D, which in the UK accounts for around one-third of the public funding for science, engineering and technology - currently around £2.6 billion per annum. In addition the military corporations spend in the UK around £100 million on R&D. The United States also funds research in the UK through a number of agencies.

Despite global spending on military objectives many aspects of the world today endanger peace and security, including international terrorism but also global poverty, climate change, loss of biodiversity and resource depletion. Unlike the funding of military goals these areas attract far less support and need to have significantly more sustained funding in order to better understand and respond to them in appropriate ways.

The environment for research in science, engineering and technology is increasingly commercial with a plethora of partnerships and funding initiatives which frame research direction and priorities and the military sector is involved in a number of ways. Our Report uses case studies throughout to describe military involvement in areas in science and technology as well as where scientists and engineers can play a vital role in building peace and social justice. The Report also makes a number of recommendations in light of the findings presented - its principal conclusions can be found in the Executive Summary